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<sup>“I like it. This is very fresh, innovative, strategic – instead of ad hoc - and sustainable!”

Response of one of our clients to the bespoke strategic proposal we crafted not only for his course, but the entire portfolio of short-courses. Alonso Ayala, Head of the Academic Department Urban Social-Spatial Development at the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University.

“... and it works because, instead of another "method", what Tikvah delivers is individually tailored consultancy. She first listens, then she suggests new paths and possibilities for implementing our work differently, without losing what each individual cares about most.”</sup>

prof. dr. Patricia Samora
Senior lecturer and researcher
Pontificia Universidade Catholica de Campinas
Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism
Greater Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area
Brazil



Are you curious for more? Would you like to get in touch? Feel free to contact our lead directly for any questions or inquiries you may have. tikvah@studioblended.com +31 6 42 47 29 69

Photo: students brainstorming in the imagination at work session at the UDCW Workshop Rotterdam, UCCRN_edu network

StudioBlended was invited to partner up in the Institute for Water Education (IHE-Delft)/Urban Design Climate Workshop (UDCW) - to strenghten the delivery of the workshop, this time in Rotterdam, together with experts whose (teaching) work we deeply respect and admire. The workshop is part of the Urban Climate Change Research Network Education (UCCRN_Edu).

The setting of the workshop was the brownfield of M4H Rotterdam, a formal port area that has now become a space for innovation. Future in the making.

What would happen to our climate curricula if we incorporated the needs of future generations of students? Surely such an excercise would break down a bit current dominant paradigms and contemporary environmental problems, and lead us to recognise what becomes important in the long run.

The session led by Tikvah Breimer (MSc MAEd MSc), created a playground - a Japanese Future Design Experiment - in which the 20 Master level students, entered into a dialogue with imaginary future generations of students to together design an interdisciplinary curriculum of the future for flood risk in Rotterdam.

The output - the future curriculum design - was first created hands-on, on the wall, and then taken in digital form into the mutiplyer event. This event centered on imagination at work - design thinking for Climate Action.

The outcome is future literacy, adaptability, exploratory thinking (see Joint Research Centre 2022, the European Sustainability Competence Framework), and better grasping paradigm shifts, the X-curve for transition - and youth voice.

For more, see our events page or our page on technical resilience.

^{“Working with StudioBlended and Tikvah was a piece of cake, very easy. She knows what she is about and what she wants to do. I could simply let her do her thing. I trusted her fully as a professional and professional it was.”}Dr. William Veerbeek
Senior Lecturer in Flood Resilience
IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education
Co-coordinator UCCRN_edu workshop in Rotterdam


Photo: graduation day of the Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) post-graduate course for professionals.

StudioBlended came alongside the course coordinator of the longest running short course at IHS/Erasmus University in its 105th edition. It went from being a 6 months course, to a 3 months and this year even a 5 weeks course for the first time. The problem of this client? Overload in the curriculum and schedule, it’s simply too much! Packed.
Our independent senior advisor gave advice on the simplification of the content, the modular approach, and on the schedule. A pilot was conducted in which lecturers were briefed on the ‘big ideas’ of their session, and their embedding in certain modules. Our independent senior advisor sat in their lectures to further improve the impact of such briefings.

Result: The course gained in effectiveness and resilience well into the coming year(s). The course coordinator and lecturers are enabled to teach with clarity, doing less so that participants learn more. The coordinator gains insight and skill in how to effectively interact with lecturers on how their session fits within a certian module and the overall body of knowledge of the course. Through that the coordinator is equipped in how to maximize the impact of the lectures on the learning curve of the participants.

The course was a blended course using Canvas as LMS.


Find out more about the re-design studio here.

<sup>“I was in a moment in my carreer where I missed challenge, and so longed for something refreshing and for experimenting. And with the Studio(Blended) we started daring to do that.

So often, course coordinators are seen as just administrative and logistic coordinators, handling all the participants, schedules, lecturers, excursions, solving issues etc.

After 6 years of running the same course as a coordinator, I felt I was getting weary, and wondered: is there anything fresh and new, that I myself can still learn?

Tikvah first of all helped me to align and synthesize the content of the course with my PhD, so that I would work efficiently and feel energized again well into the coming years.

By starting to work with the Studio’s open-building framework for the big ideas of the course – and communicating with clarity to each and every lecturer which learning objectives I wanted them to focus on in their sessions – suddenly I was back firmly in the content seat. I am now the CEO of this course: advising the lecturers, how their session contribute to the whole of the body of knowledge of the course. I feel so much more acknowledged as a course coordinator that gives direction to the content of the course, and receive very positive reactions from all involved.

Along the way, Tikvah advised and equipped me how to simplify the course, by doing less actually, so that participants learn more – and it actually set free significant new budget. ”</sup>

Charmae Pyl Wissink-Nercua (she/her)
Specialist in Urban Land, Housing Development and Capacity Building
Course Manager, Sustainable Urban Development (SUD), Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University.


Vegetation covering a buidling in Brussels. Photo: Tannya Pico (PhD candidate in Nature Based Solutions)

Our lead/founder, Tikvah Breimer (MSc MEd MSc) continuously works as independent senior level master thesis advisor. 

Read more about it on our page about supervising and mentoring students and professionals.

The work is blended and remote in Europe. Amongst others for bureaus such as Bijleshuis Belgium/Netherlands.

^{“The thesis supervision by Tikvah was of immense added value to me. She structured my work, and constantly gave me a little push in the back to start believing in myself and use my capabilities. Tikvah shared valuable tips and tricks and gave specific concrete guidance for every next meeting. She constantly reminded me that I am competent, and I have it in me. On top of that she offered mental support when I was in a difficult moment. Her flexibility is something I truly appreciated, especially when my deadline came close. In that time she was practically available at any moment. Thanks to Tikvah’s supervision and coaching I found the calm and self confidence during the entire thesis process, which resulted in successfully finalising my thesis and achieving my Master degree in Criminology.”}
Master student Criminology. UGent University (Belgium)


^{“Collaborating with Tikvah as my thesis advisor and coach, was an exceptional experience. Her guidance and support were essential for shaping my entire thesis. She demonstrated a remarkable ability to be alert to my needs and feedback, which made the collaboration not only productive but also a true pleasure. Tikvah truly is an exceptional mentor and guide.”}
Master student in European and International Governance, Brussels September 2023

^{“In seeking advice on the Thesis question, I had developed over the prior few months, I was referred to Tikvah. At first impression, Tikvah was warm, open, and welcoming. I shared with Tikvah much of the information I had accumulated and compiled over time, and the narrative I had built around it. She comprehended the information and engaged me in questions and novel streams of thought. She provided me with a unique and valuable perspective that left me enlightened and re-directed. From the perspective of a Thesis student, I would recommend Tikvah as a supervisor, as she is present and engaging; analytical, proactive, and responsive; and dynamic, the kind of personality that would keep a student excited about their Thesis journey. “}

Reem Traboulsi, Lebanon, University Master Student
August 2022

HONOURS COLLEGE, EDUCATE-IT, UTRECHT UNIVERSITY (NL)

Photo with permission

A dean of an interdisciplinary faculty, sensed emotions such as fear and frustration amongst the teaching staff, with the need to go ‘blended’, as the world opens up. Particularly due to negative experiences with emergency education online. For this client, we proposed a ‘blended experience’ for the teaching staff, including a podcast and a playful face to face design session. The session takes a surprising angle, and centers on the absolute premium time that face to face has become - and from there, teachers are challenged to re-design the online learning journey, with the aim actually, of optimising the face to face time.

We collaborated with the existing teaching academy - Educate-it, so that our work is complementary and teachers know where to find experts within the institution who can invigorate their designs with technology. The follow-up on the blended experience is also in the deep listening, dialogues and exchanges that follow in the team.

^{‘We wanted to explore the value of face to face and online teaching for the specific needs of honours education, e.g. safe spaces and off-the-script interaction. It was very inspiring to experience how Tikvah translated our questions and feedback into a lively workshop and a podcast with lasting value.’}

Prof. dr. Stephanie Rosenkranz, Professor Microeconomics, Dean Utrecht University Honors College.

Here is what a participant, one of the university teachers, wrote to us in our evaluation afterwards:

^{‘I always felt ‘blended’ was like something superimposed on us with quite some pressure. But the workshop made me realise, that I was confusing ‘hybrid’ and ‘blended’, and i became aware of just how biased I had entered the workshop and I had many eye openers. I still wonder: isn’t blended just a modern term, for what we ideally did anyway as teachers? Tell students to come prepared to class? I definatly hope to keep stimulating students to also read, not just watch videos. 
The audio podcast [transcript] that we received prior to the workshop, as a flipping the classroom experience, caught my attention, I was fascinated by the content and it was new to me to listen instead of read. It had some nice twists that came unexpected to me.’}

Are you curious to learn more about this specific workshop? Would you like to receive a bespoke quotation? Feel free to Email me directly, via: tikvah@studioblended.com

UCCRN_EDU (ERASMUS+ MASTER)

Photo: Paris from a rooftop, at the end of the multipyer event, by Breimer 2022

Photo: participants and teaching staff in the Urban Design Climate Workshop (UDCW) in Paris, by Breimer 2022.

Tikvah Breimer was invited to join, and took a train to Paris, to attend and observe the delivery of a longstanding Urban Design Climate Workshop (UDCW) for Master students. The workshop was part of the recently kicked-off Erasmus+ UCCRN_edu programme - and its partners. A challenge faced by the professors who designed and delivered the decade strong workshop, was how to optimally use the new value and meaning of ‘face to face’ time, and gain clarity about the pedagogical essence of the interdisciplinary curriculum for this specific 1 week workshop. Tikvah gave a brief advisory session tackling 5 points of attention and follow up (spring 2022).

^{‘I would have never expected that a 30min flipchart session could be so helpful in clarifying the core aspects of a blended model for multidisciplinary integration in higher education! The UCCRN_edu [Erasmus+] project will benefit a lot from such valuable advice.’}

dr. Mattia Leone, architect and associate professor, Department of Architecture (DiARC) University of Naples Federico II, Italy. Also co-director of the Urban Climate Change Research Network - European Hub (UCCRN) and  Coordinator Erasmus+ UCCRN-EDU project.

ADVICE ON TRANSDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM DESIGN

Vegetation recovery is so good that you cannot see the water underneath. Quito, Ecuador. Photo: Hans Bakker.

Tikvah did a pilot with the resilience course for university teachers, and taught it in a blended way to this PhD candidate. The assignment was to design her own transdisciplinary course, in line with her research where local indigenous communities must interact with the authorities on funding for climate adaptation (spring 2021).

<sup>“You [Tikvah] are able to learn/absorb the subject that I’m trying to produce, and you transform it to a methodological angle, and organise it is such a way that it directs me, and I can do things in a more effective and efficient way”.

Tannya Pico, PhD candidate doing research into Nature Based Solutions (NBS) and transdisciplinarity, from Quito, Ecuador  Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University, Rotterdam
For her most recent publication see TRIALOG 144 - ECUADOR - After Habitat III 2022-2023</sup>

A.R.S. Progetti S.P.A. (Rome, Italy)

Photo: Rome, by Breimer 2018

StudioBlended was invited to join a consortium for a proposal to a large donor, with the explicit intention to bring the impact of innovation to the proposal in terms of ‘blended’ design for capacity development of technical staff in-country. StudioBlended formed an agile team around this proposal, gave senior advisory, aligned with the other consortium members and submitted a briefing and accompanying budget (autumn 2022).

^{‘We approached you (StudioBlended) especially because next to that being a chance to bring some innovative approach to our proposal, I noticed that you have a background aligned with what is needed by the project: the project is focused on three main capacity building component to be implemented: on the job, through an on line/remote assistance, and through a number of “classic” modular courses to be implemented in person.
It is in particular for the secondo component that I was thinking to involve your studio and see how we can offer and design something different to be just available to answer questions on a social network.’}

Head of Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering based at a consultancy firm in Rome, A.R.S. Progetti S.P.A., Planning and Engineering Department, for a consortium proposal for the a large worldwide donor, concerning capacity development of technical staff in municipalities in Mozambique.

DiARC UNINA (FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE IN LARGEST PUBLIC UNIVESRITY IN THE WORLD, NAPLES)

Photo: Naples from a rooftop, by Breimer 2012

Tikvah Breimer led a Participatory Action Research (PAR) during an event in the largest citizen-consultation ever held in Europe, the Conference on the Future of Europe. Our partner in the South of Europe, was the Faculty of Architecture of the largest Public University in the world, in Naples, Italy. A challenge faced was to truly resonate with the voice of the South of the South of Europe - remotely. Tikvah approached the process with liasion, listening and dialogue to arrive at the optimal approach for the event (winter 2022).

For more, see our events page.

^{‘Nothing was set in stone, and everything was discussed and organised together, sharing opinions on all aspects, from the way people were selected to the details of the event format. This made it possible to be involved in the process, to feel it as one's own, stimulating the best possible outcome.’}

Enza Tersigni (PhD) (Research Fellow, Coordinator of the teachers involved in the event) University of Naples Federico II (UNINA)Department of Architecture (DiARC)
Member Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN), Co-proponent Erasmus + UCCRN-EDU project

UN-HABITAT (NAIROBI)

Photo: Medellin cable from the city to a national park, Breimer 2020

Still during lockdowns, this client embarked on an in-country capacity development training at a ministry of urbanism in DRC. The challenge was in reenvisioing the in-country training to become qualitatively blended, and ensure an optimal golden triangle of quality, time and cost investment. Tikvah Breimer gave advice regarding the set-up of a first envisioned pilot (design phase) (spring, summer 2021).

^{‘I had the opportunity to work with Tikvah in May 2021 when I was working for UN-Habitat as legal specialist. I was designing a capacity development programme on policy and legal drafting for the Ministry of Urban Planning and Housing of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tikvah provided pro bono advice on how to develop a blended programme for the Ministry blending in-country sessions with on line and off-line activities. It was extremely useful and easy to work with her. Tikvah helped me appreciate the opportunities blended trainings can offer to overcome the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic and improve the impact of capacity building activities. She quickly understood the programme needs and challenges and proposed workable solutions.’}

Projectlead Gianluca Crispi, Lead Legal Specialist, UN-Habitat Nairobi, Kenya.

RESILIENCE COURSE (REMOTE)

Photo: Brazilian Brutalism at FAU USP, a University Faculty that defined its own Architectural Style. Flickr user Fernando Stankuns.

During lockdowns, we piloted twice, our ‘resilience’ course - in a bichronous way. This Brazilian professor was challenged in the delivery of her academic courses remotely. First of all in her own human resilience, but also in the technical resilience of the curriculum design and a pedagogical lens to approach technology. Tikvah trained her in our second pilot with the resilience course for 10 weeks, remotely (studyload 4 hrs/week).

Pilot I used Moodle as LMS. Pilot II experimented with Canvas and Google.


.  

<sup>“I took the resilience course, and now deliver the actual course that I designed during the training (summer in Europe, 2021).

Suddenly I sense I dare to improvise with the technical and pedagogical formats the resilience course trained me in. The capacity I developed to design a technically resilient course, now helps me so much to be focused on where I’m going with the teaching.

Students start to reach much higher levels already halfway the semester. They start thanking me, that the class was wonderful, it’s so encouraging, even if everything is still on distance. When the parents are happy – the children are happy. It’s the same with teachers!

I feel secure the material is solid and lasting, so I can build on it, incrementally. I dare to learn by doing, everything you (Tikvah) said is true – I’m calmer, more self-confident, and daring to experiment more. The structured approach the course brought, now brings me deep excitement to keep growing and learning myself too, not just students. It’s so rewarding.

You are so right we don’t need more heavy and extensive technology for excellent higher education, we need excellent technique and pedagogy, resilience. The course was a gift from heaven. I want you to train our entire team of professors!”</sup>

prof. dr. Patricia Samora
Senior lecturer and researcher
Pontificia Universidade Catholica de Campinas
Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism
Greater Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area
Brazil

We are here especially for you as unique course/training coordinator, to come alongside you and partner with you, as you work on a (architecture / urban / development / policy / land / water / climate) curriculum, so that you can offer effective and resilient education in its simplest form.